


88 (and a half) miles an hour

by I_Can_Vibe_With_That



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, I mean theyre more rivals but you get the point, Inspired by Back to the Future, Internalized Biphobia, Lance (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn-ish, but very vaguely, oh thats not a tag, teen for swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-26 04:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30100293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Can_Vibe_With_That/pseuds/I_Can_Vibe_With_That
Summary: Okay, so none of this probably makes sense. For this to make sense, we gotta go back to the beginning. Except, the ‘beginning’ wasn’t really ‘before’. To get to the beginning, we gotta go back to the future.-Was it offensive to call your best friends mad scientists? Because that was most definitely what they were.Well it wasn't as if Lance was completely sane. He did encourage this nonsense.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Is it foreshadowing if it's what happens in the future of the story?

**Author's Note:**

> My mom made me watch all three back to the future movies back to back and this happened. It has almost nothing to do with back to the future, except for time travel and maybe some references.
> 
> In this, Pidge uses she/they pronouns
> 
> Enjoy!

This was bad. This was really, _really bad_. Lance was running out of time. It was twenty minutes until space-time folded itself correctly and the time machine went back to the present. And he was all the way across town.

He cursed himself as he ran, hitting his walkie talkie in the vain hope it would start working again. He had his phone on him, but it's not like that would work. His friends were probably super worried at this point. They all said they would meet up half an hour early! 

He looked up, slowing to a stop as he realized he didn't recognize the streets he was on. _Shit, did he take a wrong turn?_

He had to keep moving. He took a left, hoping he'd run into someone who'd be able to help him. Pidge had even told him specifically that he had to be on time for this! And of course he responded sarcastically back that _of course he would, what did they take him for?_ Space-time creases only happened every so often, and if Lance couldn't make it, who knows how long it would take for the next one.

His only hope is that everyone else would go through without him, he couldn't stand the idea of everyone getting stuck here too.

He glanced at his watch. 15 minutes. Shit, he still didn't know where he was. 

_Fuck fuck fuck fuck-_

" **Oof**!"

 _Ouch_.

Lance groaned as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He blinked his eyes as he took in the black shirt of the person he just knocked over. Great. The first person he comes across and he immediately knocks them down.

Apologies started to fall from his lips as he scrambled to his feet. He really had to keep moving, and he doubted this stranger would want to help him after he practically tackled them to the ground.  
  
"I'm so sorry, man. I wasn't watching where I was going, it was a complete-"

"Lance?"

* * *

_Okay, so none of this probably makes sense. For this to make sense, we gotta go back to the beginning. Except, the ‘beginning’ wasn’t really ‘before’. To get to the beginning, we gotta go back to the future._

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait. Back up. What the heck are you talking about?"

Lance placed his bag on the lunch table and slid into the seat beside Hunk. He and Pidge had been in a frantic, hushed conversation which quickly stopped as he approached.

"Nothing that interesting, some really advanced science stuff and that's it." Pidge responded coolly. 

Lance squinted at them. They were almost never this casual, especially about 'advanced science stuff' as they put it. It wouldn't matter how much Lance knew, Pidge could talk him ear off in jargon and complex equations that could melt his brain.

He looked at Hunk. He wasn't sweating and looking like he would throw up, so it wasn't something too important, or at least relating to Lance. But he definitely had his 'I'm-hiding-something-exciting-and-big' face on.

Now, Lance loved Hunk. The guy was his absolute best friend. But _God_ , could he not be trusted with secrets.

And it's not as if he'd purposefully tell anyone. And it's not like he would be easily pressured into revealing anything. He could be pretty tight lipped when he needed to be. Like one year, Hunk and Lance's siblings were in cahoots in throwing Lance a surprise birthday party. Hunk had kept that secret for a whole 2 weeks without letting it out! (Though Lance could tell something was up the whole time.)

So Hunk was good at not spilling the beans intentionally. The problem came when he got distracted. Get his mouth running while he was working on a project, or slowly lead into a topic in conversation, and Hunk would spill the guts of anyone who was around him. Himself included.

It was a useful tool, to get all the gossip, but, being Hunk's best friend, it was a double edged sword.

Like right now.

"Hunk-"

"So have you told Pidge about that new guy in your class yet? I didn't really have a chance to check my phone for the second half of class, but something must have happened for you to have texted me that much."

Betrayal.

Immediate and utter betrayal.

It was clever too. Lance wouldn't even be able to push about Pidge and Hunk's conversation from before. He would have to immediately retaliate or risk his pride. It was a perfect trap. Lance would remember this.

He huffed and rolled his eyes, flapping his hand in front of him. “That’s nothing okay? It’s just a new guy that's in two of my classes, he's nothing special,”

Pidge raised an eyebrow. “Who is it?”

“I _just_ said-”

“A ‘K.Kogane’, apparently.” Hunk was on his phone, scrolling. He swiped down fully on his screen 4 times before pausing, and scrolling again. Lance's face burned at the wall of grey bubbles.

Pidge had taken out her laptop, and was typing away at her keyboard. Lance buried his head in his arms at the noise.

“Kogane, Keith. He’s a transfer student, though it doesn't say from where. Looking at his student picture, yeah, I can see how Lance has caught feelings so fast. He’s 100% your type.”

He snapped the laptop lid closed, nearly clipping Pidge’s fingers as they pulled back.

“Hey-!”

“I did _not_ catch feelings for him,” Lance hissed. “he's an annoying transfer who doesn't pay attention in class, doesn't take notes, doesn't talk to anyone, as well as having a bad hair style and a stupid jacket."

His face grew redder as he defended his point, crossing his arms over the table and looking away.

His friends quieted down their teasing after that. They knew how hard Lance had worked to get into his program. So seeing someone transfer in and not take it seriously?

... Besides, the guy wasn't even cute.

* * *

Being friends with Pidge had a lot of advantages. 

One of them being you get an awesome, super smart friend who would do what they could to help you out if you really needed it. Another being access to their father's laboratory and study at the school.

He was lying back on one of the tables, taking a break from his textbook so that his eyes might be able to comprehend words once more, while Pidge and Hunk were working on something at the lab bench.

He didn't know what they were doing; they wouldn't tell him, no matter how much he pestered them. 

"I was studying with Tess," he mentioned as he blinked the dryness out of his eyes, "and she was feeling bad for him because he never hangs out with anyone, and is never seen anywhere but class. So she asks him if he wants to join the study group, y'know, compare notes and all that, and he tells her, point blank, 'I don't need to study.' Like, what kind of arrogant bullshit is that?"

Hunk stopped fiddling with whatever doo-hickey he and Pidge were working on and looked up at Lance. He furrowed his eyebrows and asked "wait, in Iverson's class?"

"Yeah, Iverson's,"

"Oh."

"I'm telling you, this guy is the worst,"

"I don't know Lance," Pidge said, signaling for him to toss her a different type of wrench, "you sound like you're really caught up on Keith for no reason. So what if he doesn't study? If he fails that's on him."

Lance took a second to pull out the right tool before gently tossing it over. "He should be worried if he fails. He'll get kicked out and then never be able to get back into a program like this. It just irks me, I feel like, if you're in such a prestigious program you should have to work for your position right? But no, he probably got his parents to pay his way in so he doesn't have to put in as much work as everyone else."

Hunk and Pidge both gave each other pointed looks, unnoticed by Lance. To him, they just gave some noncommittal hums as he continued his ranting.

Was it weird that no one had to ask who he was talking about? Of course not, his best friends were just super in tune with him.

-

Lance took a large gulp of his coffee, smacking his lips together before saying "It's weird to randomly switch seats, right?" 

Pidge and Hunk eyed each other. They knew where this was going.

They didn't even have to speak before Lance was going again.

"Because basically no one does it. Everyone has their own little spots in the lecture hall, maybe moving a seat over or something, depending on how clean it was left from last class, but generally, everyone stays put. But every time I go into that lecture hall, Keith is somewhere else. It's like, can he not just pick a seat?"

-

"Guess _what_? He finally picked a seat! It's right across the fucking aisle from mine, because of course it is."

-

"He almost showed up late to our midterm today. Literally only got there 5 minutes before we were let into the exam hall. Like, can't he take anything seriously? Showing up disheveled, messy hair and glasses and oversized sweater."

-

"He's constantly twirling his pencil around his hand. And it's quick, elaborate shit too. Again, I've _never_ seen him write anything down, so why does he even need a pencil?"

-

"I hate his hair. It's just- why? Why would you do that to yourself? He has a mullet, which I won't even get into, but also his bangs? Can he even see through those things? They literally cover half his face."

-

"So I tried talking to him today, I was friendly and inviting and all that, and he responded, so I think 'maybe he's not so bad', but then! I go to talk to him after class and guess what?"

"What, Lance?"

"He doesn't remember me!"

-

"You wanna know what's weird? Keith almost always wears the same thing. It's the same black t-shirt, black skinny jeans, cropped red jacket, and black fingerless gloves. Like, what the heck? Are you a cartoon character? Get a better outfit, man,"

-

"I'm pretty sure I've never seen Kogane with a phone. Or a laptop for that matter. He has a notebook he never uses, and that pencil he's always flinging around, but he never seems to have any modern technology. It's weird."

* * *

Lance walked up to their usual lunch spot, surprised to see not two, but three figures.

There were the usual figures of Hunk and Pidge, but sitting with them was a, frankly, gorgeous girl with dark skin and snow white hair.

"Well _hello there_ ," he said as he slid into his seat beside Hunk. Their new companion was seated right across from him. Perfect.

Pidge rolled their eyes and sighed as Lance joined them. Hunk refrained from doing so, which is why he was Lance's best friend.

"Lance. She's not interested." Pidge was leaning forward in her seat, giving him a hard look.

"Hey, it's not my fault if she falls for my natural charm," then, leaning towards the girl in question, "the name's Lance, by the way, what's yours?"

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, looked at Pidge, then Hunk, then back to him. She shook her head, but Lance could tell she was smiling. 

"Allura," she said in some kind of British accent. She put her hand out to shake, which he quickly took. "And, despite how 'charming' you are, could we not do the flirting? I've heard such wonderful things about you, and I'd hate for you to ruin your reputation with me upon first meeting."

Their hands came to a stop as Lance blinked at her. He dropped her hand sheepishly, clearing his throat. He turned towards his other friends, who were snickering to each other. Smug bastards.

"So what were we talking about?"

"Nothing special," Hunk said "just that project you don't get."

Lance pouted. "It's not my fault I don't understand quantum physics and relativity and all that. The stuff you guys are doing is insane."

"Okay, whatever. Allura found out about what we're doing, and has offered to help fund it, as long as we allow her and her uncle to work with us." Pidge was basically shaking in excitement. From what Lance could remember, funding was a big problem for the project. Material costs and all that.

"We were gonna head down to the labs after our classes to work on it," at that moment, Allura's phone pinged and she pulled it out. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern before she put it away and turned back to the group.

"Apologies, but it looks like my uncle needs help with something." She stood, grabbing her bag. "I must go now, but we'll both be by after class to take a look at that project?"

"Yeah of course Allura, text us if you need help with directions or anything," Hunk replied.

They all waved at her as she left, then both Hunk and Pidge's eyes turned on Lance.

"What?"

"Lance, buddy, you know we love you, right?" Hunk was giving him the puppy dog eyes.

Lance's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yes...?"

Hunk put a hand on his shoulder. "So you know it's from a place of love when we say we want to talk to you about your behaviour."

His behaviour?

"I didn't even try to flirt with Allura! I mean, not really, I stopped as soon as you guys made it clear she wasn't interested,"

Pidge jumped in at this point. "That's not what we mean, Lance. We- okay, we're gonna tell you a bunch of information now, so you don't find out by yourself and freak out."

Lance was skeptical, but didn't say anything. His friends were usually pretty insightful, but this was getting kind of weird.

"So Allura," Hunk held up his hand and began counting off on his fingers. "Is in an astrophysics program, transferred a month or two ago in the middle of the year,"

"She is also 'old money' rich," Pidge said, pointing to one of Hunk's fingers.

Hunk nodded. "She's rarely in her classes, and if she is, she's mainly working on her own projects, doesn't really understand the idea that people work at their own paces,"

"She can actually be pretty bad about that, she's one of those 'if I can do it, you should be able to do it' types of people."

"Allura's just generally a 'hardwork and no nonsense' type of person, especially when you first meet her, but I swear she's actually really cool when you get to know her."

Pidge nodded in agreement. They were both looking at Lance expectantly, but Lance was just more confused than before.

"Okay," he drew out the 'o' sound as he processed.

"Some of those things," he scrunched up his nose, "aren't the best, I'll admit, but why are you guys telling me this now? People can be flawed, all of us being three dimensional characters and all that." He used his hands to emphasize his point.

His friends looked at his friends skeptically.

"...right," Hunk started slowly. "Well, we just wanted to tell you so we didn't get another Keith thing-"

"Keith?! What does he have to do with anything?" 

Pidge rolled her eyes, muttering "here we go," under her breath. 

But Hunk spoke over her, saying "we just didn't want to have another thing with Allura like you have with Keith, because we're friends with her and would love to spend time with both of you guys at the same time-"

"First of all," Lance put his hand up, cutting Hunk off, "I don't have a thing with Keith, he's a dickish asshole, and that's why I don't like him. Second, why wouldn't we be able to hang out with Allura? She seemed great, from the five seconds she was here."

"Lance," Pidge said, putting their hands down on the table, "the reason we told you those things about Allura is because they're basically all the things you complain about when it comes to Keith."

_What? That's not true!_

"That's not true! You guys are just trying to demonize Allura so I won't flirt with her,"

"No, we're being honest because Allura is a three dimensional person who's allowed to have flaws. It just happens that those flaws line up with Kogane's flaws, who, by the way, is also a _three dimensional person!_ "

He looked towards Hunk for backup, but Hunk was only nodding along with Pidge's words. He was trying to think of a comeback, but they weren't done.

"I bet you if Keith was a girl, or if Allura was a guy, everything would be flipped. You would say that Allura was the worst and that Keith was great because you could never just admit to yourself that you're attracted to a guy. You're so stuck in your internalized biphobia that you stoop to playground level bullying instead of actually facing your feelings. Every time you like a guy it's like pulling teeth with you, you either hate him, or you don't actually care that much, or 'no guys it's not like that, we're just good friends!'"

"I-"

"And all the flirting with girls? You do it. So. Often. You throw yourself at these girls' feet and it's pathetic and sad how you act. You let them walk all over you because you're desperate for girls to like you, and you're desperate for you to like girls all the time! It's always the same thing with you, and it's stupid, you're being stupid!"

There was a pause as Pidge realized that they were yelling that to basically the whole cafeteria. They froze, glancing wide eyed to the people surrounding them, then back to Lance.

"Lance, I didn't mean-"

But he just shook his head. His throat was tightening, to the point where it felt like he couldn't breathe. Even if no one was watching, it felt like there were a hundred eyes on him. He felt unsafe. He had to leave.

"Fuck you," he managed to croak out.

He grabbed his bag and walked away, trying to unclench his jaw the whole time.


	2. I'm not sure which is more awkward, asking or answering questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Lance should speak to his friends.
> 
> ... maybe not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna mention that all the school stuff is going to be vague and stuff because I don't know enough about schooling for it to make sense. It's like a cross between a high school and a university, kinda like what the garrison on the show is supposed to be like

It's been a day since the 'incident' and Lance still hasn't spoken to Pidge.

He hadn't hung out with either of his best friends really at all since then, because he was also feeling a little betrayed by Hunk and a lot betrayed by Pidge.

Lance had forty-six unopened messages on his phone. 

He was out at a local coffee shop to study. He didn't necessarily like studying, but it was a great way to get his brain on autopilot, rewriting notes and rehashing relevant information. Plus, he might as well put all his upset energy to good use.

The coffee shop he was in wasn’t new, by the looks of it, but it wasn't one he, Pidge or Hunk had ever been to before. It was a small little thing, tucked into an obscure corner of the city that had a great atmosphere and pretty decent coffee. Their pastries were phenomenal however, and more than once Lance found himself picking up his phone to text Hunk, before remembering he was kinda mad at him.

So this is where he spent most of his free time. It was good, because, besides supporting a local business, he also got a lot of time to himself. He hadn't realized until now, just how much time he spent dedicated to other people. This might have been the first time he took some me-time.

He took a drink of his coffee, going over some formulas he was still a little iffy on, when his phone dinged.

It was a text from Hunk.

He had been reading Hunk's texts, even replying once to assure him that he was (at least physically) okay and just taking some personal time. After the first day or so, Hunk had stopped apologizing and asking Lance to talk to Pidge, and instead sent updates on what they were working on, which was a relief.

**Cinnamon toast Hunk**

(3:04)You should maybe reply to pidges texts   
(3:04)They're getting pretty anxious

  
Lances eyebrows furrowed. He clicked out of his messenger with Hunk at his text list. 

**Pidgey** (46 unread messages)

Please lance

12:37 pm

  
_Hmm_.

His thumb hovered over their conversation. He was contemplating maybe at least reading them when the door chimed.

Walking in, dressed in mostly black except for a dumb cropped red jacket and dumb red-and-white boots was the centre of all Lance's problems.

Keith Kogane.

Lance's face scrunched up as he passed, but Kogane didn't notice him. He walked straight to the counter, speaking to the barista in a low voice, paying, and then taking a seat in the corner of the cafe nearest the counter.

He took out a notebook and started reading through it, comparing things in it to whatever was on his smart watch. At least it _looked_ like a smart watch, but Lance was pretty sure you needed to have one of those linked to a smart _phone_. 

He continued to flip, marking things in with a pen he procured from his jacket. It looked like he was trying to work through a particularly complex problem and he wasn't having too much luck. The pen in his hand never stopped moving, it was either writing, or being tapped on the notebook, or being chewed on, or being flipped around Keith's fingers.

The barista called his name and Keith went up to get his drink. He sipped in a little, but it went mostly untouched in favour of whatever it was that he was working on.

Lance continued to watch him work for a few minutes. It seemed that every few seconds Keith was fiddling with his hair, pushing it back, or blowing it out of his face. He was getting increasingly huffy and annoyed by it, and honestly? It was getting on Lance's nerves too.

Abandoning his books for a second, Lance got up, pulling the hair tie he always had in his bag out. It was a bright blue scrunched, that was usually for one of his sisters or maybe even Hunk, but it should do. He walked over to Keith's table and held the hair tie over the notebook, right in Keith's field of view. This caused the other to look up, seeming a little skeptical of Lance.

Lance put on his best smile, remembering the last time they spoke. He held up the scrunchie again. "For your hair?"

Keith narrowed his eyes at the hair tie, then back up at him. Lance tried to keep the smile up, but it was starting to strain. Slowly, Keith reached up for the hair tie, pulling it from Lance's fingers. 

"...Thanks," he said.

Lance smiled again, glancing over his shoulder at his table. He bit his lips he thought. _It wouldn't be the worst idea…_

"Hey, would you mind letting me sit here..?" That last word got drawn out as he turned back to Keith. He had taken the scrunchie and pulled his bangs up, tying them into a little sprout at the top of his head. As Lance spoke, Keith's eyes flicked back up to his and Lance blinked. That was not how Lance had _expected_ Keith to use the hair tie, but then again, he couldn't think of anything else that might work.

Keith shrugged, looking back at Lance's table. "Sure, I can't stop you."

Lance shook himself out of his shock as Keith went back to work. Lance collected all his items putting them into his bag, and then walked back to Keith's table. He slid into the booth seat across from Keith, and contemplated taking his notes out again, but decided against it. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate with Keith right in front of him.

He took a sip of his coffee as he studied Keith. The writing in the notebook wasn't anything he could decipher, looking to be in both a different language, and some insane shorthand that used numbers and other symbols in strange ways. The smart watch was very sleek and futuristic looking, and while Lance couldn't see anything on the small display, Keith looked as if he was getting loads of information.

In fact, Keith blinked several times at his watch, as if surprised by whatever was on it. He snuck a glance up at Lance, who wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't watching so intently. They blinked at each other before Keith broke the eye contact, looking back down at his notes.

Lance realized that he'd never been this close to Keith before. He could see a lot more details than he usually could about the other boy. He had large, dark eyes of an indeterminate colour, and had several ear piercings. His shirt was speckled with grey and white, and with the way the collar of the shirt looked, appeared to be a long-sleeves.

They sat there in silence for a while, Lance taking subtle glances at Keith the whole time. He could see how _maybe_ Keith was his type. _Maybe_. His face wasn't _bad_ and though his hair and wardrobe were atrocities, they could easily be fixed. If he just-

"What?"

Uhhh….

"Hmm?" Lance replied intelligently. His eyes snapped up to Keith's, which were glaring at him.

"What do you want? You haven't said anything, you've just starred." Keith clarified.

Lance gulped. 

"What makes you- I'm not- uhm, we're in the same astrophysics, right?" Very smooth.

Lance could have sworn he saw disappointment flash through Keith's eyes before he looked back down at his notebook. 

"I don't have any notes to give you, ask someone else." Suddenly, Keith's demeanor was a lot more closed off, and Lance realized something. Keith was always alone. 

He was never seen with other people, and the only times Lance had heard of someone talking to Keith was when they were asking him for something, like notes.

Oh. 

"No, I just- why are you interested in astrophysics, is what I'm curious about," he tried.

Keith shrugged, but the stiffness in his shoulders dissipated a little bit. "Family business," came the reply.

Lance was partially pleased that he was definitely a better conversationalist than Keith, but he was distracted by how many questions Keith's answer raised. 'Family business'? What does that even mean?

"'Family business'?"

Keith nodded, scratching something into his notebook. 

Yeah, that didn't clear up anything. He could continue to go down this route of questioning, but he was pretty sure he was losing his audience.

He tried a few more questions.

"What are you drinking?"

"Hot chocolate."

"Do you have Netflix?"

"No,"

"The weather sure is nice,"

"Yeah."

Oh god the conversation was getting worse. Lance's leg was bonding under the table. Keith was carefully copying something down into his notebook, glancing between it and his watch over and over again.

Curious, Lance leaned forward. "What are you-?"

The book cover flipped shut. 

"What are you doing?"

"I was just asking you the same question, what is that?" He gestured to the notebook. 

"Not your business," Keith said, pulling the book close to himself.

"Hey, don't need to be so defensive about it, I was just curious about what you were doing. Calm down." He was trying for soothing, but he could feel the fire of his prior annoyance warming his belly. 

Clearly, Keith could hear it too. The glare redoubled, and the notebook disappeared into his backpack. He downed his drink in one final swig before standing, returning his mug, and walking out of the cafe.

Lance let out a breath. He felt his shoulders untended where he hadn't noticed they were tensed before. 

That went well.

-

Fine! He'd admit it! He was lonely.

Who would have guessed that not talking to your friends for a while where before you spoke to them almost constantly would make a person feel that way?

But at this point it was almost a point of pride that he wasn't giving in yet. He was no longer angry at Pidge, but he was feeling hurt and definitely feeling petty. She always gets away with saying shit that's kinda awful with little to no repercussions. They could stew for a little longer.

And his run in with Keith at that cafe didn't help either. Sure, they weren't friends, but being walked out on still hurt.

And it was Monday. Which meant he'd see Keith in class. Right across the aisle from him. Hooray.

God, now he hoped that Keith had forgotten him.

He sat in his usual seat, early as always to his class. Well, to this class specifically. He knew that a contributing factor to getting a buff to his grade was getting the teacher to like him. 

And Iverson didn't quite like him yet... Now... Halfway through the year…

Yeah, who was he kidding. He was just trying to get Iverson to not like him less.

It wasn't really working, but Lance was willing to try anyway!

Lance passed the time scolding through his phone. He was still getting texts and messages through all of his social medias, so he'd been avoiding just about all of them. He was half heartedly reading something when Iverson walked in.

You see, Iverson was pretty strict. Lance wouldn't exactly call him a **_good_** teacher, but he was informative and concise. And the only teacher who taught the advanced astrophysics course, so he was also necessary.

Iverson's eyes scanned the seats of students, picking up on what seats were empty, then staring meaningfully at the door. There was still fifteen minutes before class technically started, so they were still open. Iverson loved technicalities, but he also hated lateness, and he had said that he, personally, considered showing up after the teacher late. But, because of school policy, he couldn't actually mark anyone off for attendance until class officially started.

Lance hadn't been late, or Iverson-late, once.

Keith had a perfect attendance of being Iverson-late.

Sure enough, a minute before class started, Keith strolls in, right passed a fuming Iverson. That other stragglers had all half ran into class at least five minutes earlier, apologising for their very existence. But Keith never did. Iverson couldn't even fault him for it because Keith wasn't in the wrong.

Lance thought that Iverson might be so mad because he's never able to start his lectures early.

It's the small blessings.

-

"McClain! Do you have an answer for the question on the board?"

Lance's eyes snapped up to the chalkboard. He hadn't been paying attention to the questions they were going through because he was still writing down notes. He was very obviously writing down notes! Why was Iverson picking on him?

"Yes sir! The answer- the answer is, uhm-" he started to frantically flip through his book, trying to find where he'd written down the notes for this question. "I-I know it, I swear, I just-"

"Too late. Kogane?"

Lance looked to his right, where Keith was raising his hand. His face burned as Keith began answering the question, an almost bored expression on his face. Lance knew he should be listening, but he couldn't hear over the thoughts that consumed him.

Was this just because Lance annoyed him at the cafe? He never volunteered to answer a question, no one ever did, and now here he was. Answering a question that Lance got wrong.

He couldn't help but notice how bare Keith's deak was, where his own was overflowing with papers and pencils and books.

"Correct," Iverson's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "McClain, it would be advised that next time, you pay attention in class."

Nobody laughed. Nobody made a sound as Iverson went back to his lesson, but Lance could feel the weight of the humiliation all the same.

He closed his eyes and gave himself five seconds. Only five.

When he opened his eyes again, he could have sworn he saw Keith looking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've officially met Keith! Now that we'really a little further along, I would love to hear what, you guys think of the story so far
> 
> You can leave a comment, or send an ask to @good-vibes-mostly on tumblr

**Author's Note:**

> So I want to try and keep a posting schedule for this fic. I already have the second chapter fully done, so (hopefully) I'll be able to get chapters out every week. That's the goal!


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